The jump represents a turnaround from the first quarter of 2021, when total assets slipped below the $3 trillion mark. Despite the surge in popularity of relatively low-cost indexed funds, total assets have doubled over the past decade.

Hedge funds posted double-digit returns annually in 2021 for a third consecutive year with a fund weighted composite index rising more than 10% last year, according to HFR.

(Reporting by Saikat Chatterjee; Editing by Danilo Masoni)